Jamie’s Italian

With his name above the door, his books prominently on display and items on the menu such as My Favourite Humble Green Salad as well as the option to buy T-shirts, you could be forgiven for thinking Jamie’s Italian was another way of cashing in on the brand that is Jamie Oliver.

But once you walk through the door, you soon realise this is far from the case.

With its bright and funky decor, open preparation areas and friendly, family atmosphere, Jamie’s Italian looks as if it is going to be a worthy addition to Brighton’s food scene.

The restaurant opened this week for a series of staff training days, with invited guests trying out the extensive menu.

Speaking to The Magazine’s Lisa Frascarelli, Jamie made the quite surprising announcement: “It’s not going to be the best meal of your life”, saying he wants his Jamie’s Italian restaurants to be approachable and accessible, rather than the latest in high-price haute cuisine.

That said, this isn’t just a Pizza Express with a celebrity name over the door.

For one thing, there are no pizzas on the menu.

Instead, the restaurant focuses on good value pasta dishes and oven-cooked mains, as well as a wide range of delicious starters, including very moreish crispy polenta chips with rosemary salt at £2.95 and the option to buy an antipasti “plank” from £6.50 a head.

Prices start at £8.50 for a main course, with the option to have pasta either as a smaller first course or as your main meal, at two different rates.

The carefully selected wine list is served by small and large glasses or bottles, with the option to buy a bottle from Jamie’s special cellar.

“Absolutely everything on the menu has been approved by Jamie,” says general manager Sarah Tinker-Taylor.

“He has the final say.

Our chefs might come up with something, but he has to have a look to see if it’s right or not.

“Everything from the design of the restaurant to our staff uniforms is down to him.”

Jamie paid the restaurant a visit last week to speak to staff, and is expected to pop in to Brighton now and again, as he has done with his other restaurants.

The young chef ’s Italian mentor Gennaro Contaldo will be ensuring everything runs smoothly for the first few weeks, and will also be paying regular visits in the future.

The venue, which was still having finishing touches added to the outside this week, can currently serve 134 diners downstairs, 50 people upstairs and a further 30 on the outside terrace.

It is also applying for a licence to serve another 15 or more customers on the pavement outside.

Often when a new big name restaurant opens, wannabe diners face the problem of not being able to get a table, but Jamie’s Italian is side-stepping that issue by not giving out reservations.

“We don’t take any bookings at all,” says Sarah.

“With Jamie’s other restaurants [he has Jamie’s Italians in Oxford, Kingston and Bath and another five planned to open this year] we found we can serve more people and be accessible to more by not taking bookings.

“We have limited space at the bar, so people do tend to queue.

But we keep in constant communication with the queue and take antipasti planks out so they can have a little nibble while they wait.”

The restaurant, which is planning to open to the general public from Monday, is hoping to appeal both to Brightonians and the tourist market.

“It is accessible to everyone,” says Sarah.

“We have had people say it is a very Brighton restaurant.

We have had lots of kids in, who just love it.

People can have a chat to the chefs and can be taken round to see our wood-fired ovens.

There is lots of food as theatre, so people can get involved.

“There is a real buzz here.”

Sample the menu

Bread, olives and bits
World’s best olives on ice £3.50
Home roasted almonds £1.95
Chickpea popcorn £2.50
Tin of top Italian breads from my bakery £2.95
Bruschetta £5
Starters
Seasonal meat antipasti plank £6.50 a head
Vegetable antipasti plank £6.50 a head
Parmesan chunks with fine balsamic vinegar £3.25
Crispy squid with spicy roasted red pepper mayo £4.95
Mozzarella di bufala with lush basil pesto £4.45
Pasta
Jamie’s Italian spaghetti bolognese £6.25 / £9.75
Beautiful bucatini carbonara £5.95 / £9.75
Delicious crab spaghettini £6.65 / £11.25
Prawn linguine £6.95 / £10.85
Truffle tagliatelle £5.95 / £8.50
Wild mushroom ravioli £6.25 / £9.95
Cauliflower mac and cheese £8.50
Honeycombed cannelloni £9.65
Mains
Good old grilled steak from £15.95
Jamie’s “Flash Steak” £12.95
Chargrilled chop steak beef burger £10.95
Chicken cooked under a brick £12.50
Soft shell crab fritti £13.95
Yellow fin tuna with a salad £14.50
My grilled chicken Caesar salad £10.75
Fresh east coast crab bruschetta salad £12.50
Desserts
Italian ice cream £3.95
Creamy panacotta £4.95
Our special tiramisu £4.75
Gennaro’s Amalfi orange tart £4.95
Ultimate chocolate banana and nut brownie £4.95

Open from Monday, noon to 11pm daily